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Best Encyclopedias

5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems (Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides)
Book of GRE Practice Problems is an essentialresource for students of any level who are preparing for the GRE revisedGeneral Exam. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"However, I've glossed through other Kaplan/Princeton/Etc GRE books and have to say that this book is one of the best study materials you can get. I scored a 325, and the questions I mostly got wrong were in the vocabulary section and because of timing, because I didn't feel like studying vocab, and because I only timed myself on a practice test once. I would go through at least 1 of each section in this book - READ THROUGH THE EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT YOU GOT WRONG. If you have the time and means, what I suggest to do is to read news editorials and opinionated articles and look up the words you don't know."
"The practice material from PR and Kaplan isn't the same level of rigor as the ETS exam, and ETS's book has a limited number of practice problems. I wish I had known about this book with more time before taking the GRE again, I probably would have also invested in some of Manhattan Prep's other study material for the quantitative section. 500+ pages of just math practice and explanations (nevermind all of the reading and essay practice in this beast of a book). -- 30-50 practice questions for EACH topic. I agree with other reviewers that ETS is still the best practice material, but this is definitely the second best book you can buy to prepare yourself."
"Got my scores back yesterday: 96th percentile for verbal...which is better than I did five years ago while still in college and with months to study."
"This book is great!"
"It will show you all the standard problems of the GRE alongside with its standard solutions; however, if you are looking for a book with challenging problems that will take above the 90th percentile, this is not the book."
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Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides)
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents GMAT Strategy Guide (ISBN: 9781941234020). Purchase of this set includes one year of access to Manhattan Prep's online computer-adaptive GMAT practice exams and Question Banks. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"These books don't emphasize tricks or easy ways to 700+ score, instead they methodically cover areas tested, and should be pretty much all you will need (besides the Official Guides - see below for links). If this is above your budget or you are in a rush, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension - a significantly revised book (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books). ~~~. I have gone through all of the books and here is how it looks: Overall, all books have undergone some degree of updating; not just slapping a new cover as some providers do, so you will be better of buying the 6th if you are deciding. IR - substantial changes and improvements - the book needed them, and is now split by question type and organized a lot better. Quant - mostly minor updates (less than 10% new content). RC - Major update. SC - Restructure with the main difference is that the idiom section is cut down and rewrite of most chapters (more than 20% of content updated). CR - Improvements in text-heavy areas that put people to sleep before."
"The combination of these books, the GMAT Original Guide Bundle (buy those for practice problems), and hours of studying produced a 760 GMAT score!!!"
"I has a chance to review a preview set, and I see a number of meaningful changes in this edition: - GMAT Roadmap and IR books are now included with this set, making it a total of 10 books. - The Quant books have been improved in terms of layout and structure (though content is mostly the same). - The Verbal books have undergone a pretty significant improvement in terms of content (still analyzing the changes; check back in a few days for complete analysis). - Now the series start with Fractions/Decimals/Percents, then go into Algebra, Word Problems, Geometry, and Number Properties. (I feel this is a good improvement - first, it is getting rid of some of the strange names MGMAT used and second, Number Properties was a pretty tough book to use as the first step). If you are just starting out with GMAT prep - get this bundle; it's a good deal for the Manhattan GMAT Guides (separately they cost close to $150). If this is above your budget, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books)."
"I recently decided to go back to school for a masters and wanted to do well on the test, but not spend a ton. After I finish, I plan on ordering the GMAT Official Guides which have all the practice questions and after going through those books, then taking the test."
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"They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, with 2016 MLA Update (Third Edition)
And, because these moves are central across all disciplines, the book includes chapters on writing in the sciences, writing in the social sciences, and―new to this edition―writing about literature. The best tribute to "They Say / I Say" I've heard is this, from a student: "This is one book I'm not selling back to the bookstore." The template format is a good way to teach and demystify the moves that matter. This book demystifies rhetorical moves, tricks of the trade that many students are unsure about. The best tribute to They Say / I Say I ve heard is this, from a student: This is one book I m not selling back to the bookstore. The argument of this book is important that there are moves to academic writing . The template format is a good way to teach and demystify the moves that matter. Students need to walk a fine line between their work and that of others, and this book helps them walk that line, providing specific methods and techniques for introducing, explaining, and integrating other voices with their own ideas. This book uncovers the rhetorical conventions that transcend disciplinary boundaries, so that even freshmen, newcomers to the academy, are immediately able to join in the conversation. --Margaret Weaver, Missouri State University". --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Reviews
"I also recommend "Making Sense in the Life Sciences: A Student's Guide to Writing and Research" for anyone looking to help organize lots of information into a logical flow/argument."
"A fantastic book to supplement college English."
"Would recommend if you have a hard time learning how to right transitional words."
"I was required to buy this for my class on interdisciplinary inquiry."
"Useful for college course my friend took."
"Good book."
"I used this book for eng101 and I still have it because it comes in handy when writing argumentative papers, or opposing viewpoint type papers."
"I find having all the templates to be a pain, it takes creative control of my writing."
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Best GRE Test Guides

5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems (Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides)
Book of GRE Practice Problems is an essentialresource for students of any level who are preparing for the GRE revisedGeneral Exam. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"However, I've glossed through other Kaplan/Princeton/Etc GRE books and have to say that this book is one of the best study materials you can get. I scored a 325, and the questions I mostly got wrong were in the vocabulary section and because of timing, because I didn't feel like studying vocab, and because I only timed myself on a practice test once. I would go through at least 1 of each section in this book - READ THROUGH THE EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT YOU GOT WRONG. If you have the time and means, what I suggest to do is to read news editorials and opinionated articles and look up the words you don't know."
"The practice material from PR and Kaplan isn't the same level of rigor as the ETS exam, and ETS's book has a limited number of practice problems. I wish I had known about this book with more time before taking the GRE again, I probably would have also invested in some of Manhattan Prep's other study material for the quantitative section. 500+ pages of just math practice and explanations (nevermind all of the reading and essay practice in this beast of a book). -- 30-50 practice questions for EACH topic. I agree with other reviewers that ETS is still the best practice material, but this is definitely the second best book you can buy to prepare yourself."
"Got my scores back yesterday: 96th percentile for verbal...which is better than I did five years ago while still in college and with months to study."
"This book is great!"
"It will show you all the standard problems of the GRE alongside with its standard solutions; however, if you are looking for a book with challenging problems that will take above the 90th percentile, this is not the book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Almanacs & Yearbooks

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2018
Praised as a "treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information" by The Wall Street Journal , The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs—from history and sports to geography, pop culture, and much more. Historical Anniversaries: The World Almanac 's recurring feature expands to incorporate milestone events and cultural touchstones dating to the book's founding year, from the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson to the publication of Little Women . Other New Highlights: A brand-new biography of the 45th president and profile of the Trump administration; official 2016 election results; and statistics on criminal incarceration and sentence lengths, health care, overdose deaths, shootings, terrorism, and much more. 2017—Year in Sports: Hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics that are essential for any sports fan, featuring a preview of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games, complete coverage of the 2017 World Series, new tables of NBA, NHL, and NCAA statistics, and much more. Sarah Janssen is the senior editor of The World Almanac® and Book of Facts .
Reviews
"This book is absolutely wonderful."
"Purchased as a gift for my grandson."
"Buy this World Almanac every year."
"Additionally, I have purchased more than one copy of the book, to have one handy at every location where I might need a copy of the book."
"Ordered it as a gift for my brother who is into this information and he loves it!!!"
"Lots of information!"
"Love this book and I get it every year!"
"I like getting the World Almanac every year, to keep up latest events."
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Best Graduate School Guides

Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides)
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents GMAT Strategy Guide (ISBN: 9781941234020). Purchase of this set includes one year of access to Manhattan Prep's online computer-adaptive GMAT practice exams and Question Banks. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"These books don't emphasize tricks or easy ways to 700+ score, instead they methodically cover areas tested, and should be pretty much all you will need (besides the Official Guides - see below for links). If this is above your budget or you are in a rush, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension - a significantly revised book (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books). ~~~. I have gone through all of the books and here is how it looks: Overall, all books have undergone some degree of updating; not just slapping a new cover as some providers do, so you will be better of buying the 6th if you are deciding. IR - substantial changes and improvements - the book needed them, and is now split by question type and organized a lot better. Quant - mostly minor updates (less than 10% new content). RC - Major update. SC - Restructure with the main difference is that the idiom section is cut down and rewrite of most chapters (more than 20% of content updated). CR - Improvements in text-heavy areas that put people to sleep before."
"The combination of these books, the GMAT Original Guide Bundle (buy those for practice problems), and hours of studying produced a 760 GMAT score!!!"
"I has a chance to review a preview set, and I see a number of meaningful changes in this edition: - GMAT Roadmap and IR books are now included with this set, making it a total of 10 books. - The Quant books have been improved in terms of layout and structure (though content is mostly the same). - The Verbal books have undergone a pretty significant improvement in terms of content (still analyzing the changes; check back in a few days for complete analysis). - Now the series start with Fractions/Decimals/Percents, then go into Algebra, Word Problems, Geometry, and Number Properties. (I feel this is a good improvement - first, it is getting rid of some of the strange names MGMAT used and second, Number Properties was a pretty tough book to use as the first step). If you are just starting out with GMAT prep - get this bundle; it's a good deal for the Manhattan GMAT Guides (separately they cost close to $150). If this is above your budget, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books)."
"I recently decided to go back to school for a masters and wanted to do well on the test, but not spend a ton. After I finish, I plan on ordering the GMAT Official Guides which have all the practice questions and after going through those books, then taking the test."
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Best Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Special sections include: A Handbook of Style, Foreign Words & Phrases, Biographical Names and Geographical Names. The Merriam brothers desired a continuity of editorship that would link Noah Webster's efforts with their own editions, so they selected Chauncey A. Goodrich, Webster's son-in-law and literary heir, who had been trained in lexicography by Webster himself, to be their editor in chief. Assuming that a lower price would increase sales, the Merriams introduced the 1847 edition at $6, and although Webster's heirs initially questioned this move, extraordinary sales that brought them $250,000 in royalties over the ensuing 25 years convinced them that the Merriams' decision had been abundantly sound.
Reviews
"When using it as a writer (I know the word, but not its spelling, nor if I completely understand the word I seek to use) and not as a reader, I would have been more pleased if those who had added electronic usability had also made it more intuitive to those of us with poorer ability to spell by more simply allowing the browsing for a word as is done with a paper dictionary."
"Received what I ordered and needed."
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Best Atlases

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Tenth Edition
Marking the 100th anniversary of National Geographic cartography, this prestigious reference is the essential guide to understanding today's interconnected world. A portion of all National Geographic proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.
Reviews
"I previously bought the National Geographic "Family Reference Atlas of the World", which was big enough to impress people that you have a big atlas on the coffee table, but not big enough to actually FIND any historical locations you are interested in."
"This was a gift, and I am thrilled how fabulous this NG Atlas actually is."
"I have compared, the map for Suriname is even less detailed than my micro pocket atlas which costs only 0.8 USD."
"I could not be more pleased!"
"Absolutely stunning book!"
"I bought this book for my mom and she loves it."
"An essential for anyone with any interest in geography."
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Best Bibliographies & Indexes

The First Folio of Shakespeare: The Norton Facsimile
These improvements, the meticulous work of the great Folio scholar Charlton Hinman made possible by the extensive Folger Library Collection, established The Norton Facsimile as an indispensable volume for book collectors and serious readers of Shakespeare. Looking for a way to provide scholars with a reliable version of Shakespeare's text, Hinman invented a device that sped up the collation process, allowing him to compare 82 of the surviving copies of the Folio and bring to light features of Shakespeare's work that have been--and continue to be--edited out of most modern editions. These traces of the composition process survive only because the printers, working directly from Shakespeare's handwritten copy, were not given a chance to thoroughly proofread their work. The many errors the printers introduced into the text of Shakespeare's work still provide fertile ground for theatrical and academic debate.
Reviews
"This beautiful and HUGE volume will not disappoint those looking. for a First Folio facsimile, or just a beautiful version of Shakespeare."
"Beautiful collection."
"If you are not familiar with what the First Folio is, the First Folio is considered to be the very first published collection of Shakespeare's plays. (If you want to see what it looks like inside, while this edition of the First Folio doesn't have the "Look Inside" option, this newer edition does: The First Folio of Shakespeare: The Norton Facsimile.)."
"I researched this book and a few others like it before purchasing the Norton Facsimile."
"I was an Equity actor (now an instructor of communications and theatre), and before each role I consulted four books: this facsimile, the Norton Oxford edition, Schmidt's Lexicon, and Harold Bloom's Shakespeare, the Invention of the Human."
"Compiled from the best extant leaves of Shakespeare's First Folio, this edition is a labor of love."
"Simply put, it is a First Folio made up of facsimile copies of the best pages of all First Folios available, and there are numerous pages dealing with the detective work involved in the assembling of the work. Yes, it is large,maybe somewhat unwieldy,and the style of type is unusual to read by today's standards, but in the presentation it is a work of art."
"It is essential for any true actor to get the most genuine interpretation of Shakespeare's work."
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Best Writing Skills Reference

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"What's to like or not like: it's a guide that one needs for one's professional life."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
"Sure, Turabian distills this book (and the sin of the latest Turabian is that in a misguided attempt to appeal to more people, they've added a parenthetical reference system to the footnote system she popularized), but sometimes you must turn to the Chicago for more information."
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